Yes, different distros organize things differently. If you're looking to become a Linux sysadmin, you probably want to pick either the Debian or Redhat flavor to start with, then learn the other one once you've got the basics down. Otherwise you'll just confuse yourself. Organization of the file system and startup scripts, and which package manager is used are the two major differentiators. I made the jump from Fedora (a Redhat style distro) to Ubuntu (a Debian style distro) in the past year; and while the fundamentals remained unchanged, it took a little getting used to.

I tried using linux for over a year, until I realized I was trying to hard to get my computer to work. Consider buying an OS as buying convenience, same with buying a car or building a kit car. Sure, you could save money by building the kit car, but it'll rattle, the windows may stick, and the interior quality might be flimsy. But the Honda or Chevy will be worlds more comfortable. Up to you I suppose, but wrestling a computer into submission, and forcing it to obey at gunpoint isn't something I would make anyone deal with.

Valhalla926 wrote:I tried using linux for over a year, until I realized I was trying to hard to get my computer to work. Consider buying an OS as buying convenience, same with buying a car or building a kit car. Sure, you could save money by building the kit car, but it'll rattle, the windows may stick, and the interior quality might be flimsy. But the Honda or Chevy will be worlds more comfortable. Up to you I suppose, but wrestling a computer into submission, and forcing it to obey at gunpoint isn't something I would make anyone deal with.

And I used Ubuntu, the everyman linux.

Hmmm... I think the issue is a bit more complex than that. While I agree that the situation with 3rd party video drivers still isn't quite as "plug and play" as it should be, once you get the system set up properly, it just works. While it may have taken a bit longer to get my current Ubuntu desktops (work and home) set up and configured to my liking than it would've taken for comparable Windows boxes, I would also say they have required less maintenance after the fact to keep them running smoothly.

Furthermore, for drivers other than video cards the out-of-the-box driver support is pretty good -- I'd say better than Windows. Aside from nVidia/ATI, I do not think I have ever needed to download 3rd party drivers for any of my hardware. They're all just there in the distro, and are installed automatically as needed.

just brew it! wrote:While it may have taken a bit longer to get my current Ubuntu desktops (work and home) set up and configured to my liking than it would've taken for comparable Windows boxes

I've found the opposite. Been running Ubuntu for several years and Debian before that. I can get Ubuntu up and running with everything I need on a new PC in very short order - especially if I just network boot a net install and let it download what it needs. I recently gave in and put Windows XP (with the latest Service Pack slipstreamed in) on a PC (needed for iTunes and my wife's VPN to work) and it took literally 3x as long to get the latest updates installed from Microsoft and all the drivers for sound and ACPI and such from the various manufacturers. I dare say if someone reinstalls Windows regularly then they have their CD of drivers and utilities to hand, but if you have to build that up from scratch that takes significant time.

just brew it! wrote:I would also say they have required less maintenance after the fact to keep them running smoothly.

Definitely. That's what drove me off Windows in the first place many years ago - it would just break without you messing around with it. Linux just keeps on running without random breakages - that's not to say I haven't been futzing around with something and royally messed it up, but Linux doesn't decide that just because you installed a new game it is going to remove the driver for your network adaptor.

just brew it! wrote:While it may have taken a bit longer to get my current Ubuntu desktops (work and home) set up and configured to my liking than it would've taken for comparable Windows boxes

I've found the opposite. Been running Ubuntu for several years and Debian before that. I can get Ubuntu up and running with everything I need on a new PC in very short order - especially if I just network boot a net install and let it download what it needs.

As I alluded to in my previous post, IMO video drivers are the main sticking point. Basically, I've learned that if you are going to use the binary drivers from the video card manufacturer's web site, make sure you install any pending Linux kernel update first. Now that I know this, I won't make the same mistake on future builds.

for the experiment i made a basic working system from an old hdd psu and mobo and used the cpu and ram from my now broken pc and put them all on my desk and balanced a 120mm fan on the cpu heat sink, i must say i like having a pc without a case

after testing the setup and discovering a bit about how cpu multiplier work and how i can lower it to make the pc eat less power i tested out mint which i liked and felt a bit like xp to me i think installed ubuntu it seemed more like i would have imagined linux but seemed to have the same basic software, i liked how both could read my files from my usb flash drive and play standard windows image and video formatts which i didnt think linux could do i did attempt to install linux software i got from softpedia but could not get any of it working, what file extensions are linux version of .exe?

i liked how i could simply install them into xp without any modifications like a piece of software and it gives me the standard option at startup but it doesnt seem to let me install more than one form of linux at the same time

i like how they come with firefox however i did not see any internet security have i just not seen it or must i find some for myself?

also how would i go about lowering the multiplier in xp i adjusted it using crystalcpuid in xp as this pc doesnt have the option in the bios, i would like to lower cooling to make it as quiet as possible

i assume right click unmount is how usb flash drives are safely removed?

also what are the best places to get linux software?

i am currently downloading fedora its a massive file i assume it has a lot more or is bloated like vista

brain frog wrote:i did attempt to install linux software i got from softpedia but could not get any of it working, what file extensions are linux version of .exe?

Ya see, in Windows, every file is executable and only the ones that end in .exe are actually programs.In Linux, every file is just a file until it is marked executable. There is no standard ".exe" type file ending to denote a program. Mint should have its own repository for you to install software. Something like this should be covered in their noob guide on their Web site.And as for images and videos, 99% of the codecs out there aren't Microsoft's, including those you use in Microsoft's operating systems, and a lot of Microsoft's codecs have been figured out a long time ago.

brain frog wrote:i like how they come with firefox however i did not see any internet security have i just not seen it or must i find some for myself?

It's because of the way Linux is designed. Linux without anything else can withstand a wannabe cracker, provided you didn't do stupid stuff like use a word that can be found in any dictionary as your password. Also, as long as you run as a user and not as "root", you'll be nearly impervious to viruses.

There is a firewall that can be setup, Netfilter, and you have to tweak some options in the kernel, maybe. I'm not familiar with Mint. There are also several virus scanners out there as well, such as ClamAV or OAV. While you may not suffer the symptoms of a virus, it doesn't mean you can't be a carrier.

Not really. umount isn't aware of the needs of removable media. It's up to you to make sure that any transfers are finished before you umount and unplug the drive. Now, it won't really hurt anything if you remove the USB drive without umount'ing, but the mount point may become stuck.

brain frog wrote:also what are the best places to get linux software?

Through your distribution's repository. It helps if you tell us what you're looking for, too. There are usually several different choices to accomplish the same task.

The best things in life are free.http://www.gentoo.orgGuy 1: Surely, you will fold with me.Guy 2: Alright, but don't call me Shirley.

Not really. umount isn't aware of the needs of removable media. It's up to you to make sure that any transfers are finished before you umount and unplug the drive. Now, it won't really hurt anything if you remove the USB drive without umount'ing, but the mount point may become stuck.

Ubuntu 9.04 at least and I think most other ones does a umount and flushes the buffers on right click umount of a removable drive. It will wait until the buffers are flushed an then pop up a "safe to remove" dialog box just like Windows does.

titan wrote:

brain frog wrote:also what are the best places to get linux software?

Through your distribution's repository. It helps if you tell us what you're looking for, too. There are usually several different choices to accomplish the same task.

If you are running Ubuntu just go to "Applications->Add/Remove...". On a Windows system this just shows you the software on your PC, on Ubuntu it shows you all the software that is in the repository on the Internet available for your PC. Different versions of Linux have slightly different ways of accessing the repository but things are way easier if you install from what is in the repository.

Yeah, use the repository. Don't install Linux apps from websites unless you know how to compile and install programs from source.

You're downloading the Fedora DVD? Don't, you can get a LiveCD version that is much smaller. All the DVD does is contain most of the repository files which you won't use 99% of anyway. You can download the other 1% through the package manager after installing the CD.

If you don't know what a repository is, Fedora issues will be too hard to handle. Stick with Ubuntu.

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous you can go to System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager to install software. It's not as easy as Add/Remove but more powerful, and you get access to more software.

brain frog wrote:i did attempt to install linux software i got from softpedia but could not get any of it working, what file extensions are linux version of .exe?

They don't have an extension, there is an "executable" option in the file attributes instead. As others have noted, use the distro's repository to install software. Any decent distro will have pretty much everything you need already pre-packaged in a format that is compatible with your system.

i liked how i could simply install them into xp without any modifications like a piece of software and it gives me the standard option at startup but it doesnt seem to let me install more than one form of linux at the same time

Dual-booting is probably a topic best left for when you've gotten a little more familiar with how things work. For now, I suggest you start with Ubuntu.

i like how they come with firefox however i did not see any internet security have i just not seen it or must i find some for myself?

Typical Linux distros are more secure out of the box than an unprotected Windows system because they only install the bare minimum of system services required to get the system up and running, so there's very little in the way of exposed services for anyone to hack into. As additional services are installed, their configuration is set such that things are locked down by default; you need to explicitly open things up if you want to let others in.

If you want additional security, you can set up FireStarter (software firewall) and/or ClamAV (anti-virus). If you're using a major distro, both should already be in your distro's software repository.

Edit: I'm speaking from an Ubuntu perspective here. Fedora installs a firewall by default (at least it did the last time I used it, not sure if that is still the case).

also how would i go about lowering the multiplier in xp i adjusted it using crystalcpuid in xp as this pc doesnt have the option in the bios, i would like to lower cooling to make it as quiet as possible

Well, in Ubuntu you can right-click the menu bar, pull up Add To Panel..., and select CPU Frequency Scaling Monitor. This will add an icon to your menu bar that allows you to see and change the CPU frequency. If you're using a different distro (especially if it is one that doesn't use the GNOME window manager) the procedure for installing this feature may be different.

i assume right click unmount is how usb flash drives are safely removed?

Yup.

also what are the best places to get linux software?

As noted above, your best bet is your distro's repository. If the system is connected to the Internet, it should be configured out-of-the-box to access the repository automatically. In Ubuntu, the package manager is accessed through System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager. (There are other ways to access the repository as well, via various command line tools... I personally prefer to use the apt command line tools directly. But for now, you should just stick with Synaptic to keep things simple.)

i am currently downloading fedora its a massive file i assume it has a lot more or is bloated like vista

The Fedora DVD includes a lot more of the less commonly used packages. If you use a distro with a smaller installation image (e.g. the standard Ubuntu installer), those packages are still available to you; they just get downloaded from the repository when you install them instead of being included on the original DVD.

any input will be appreciated

Given your (lack of) familiarity with Linux, I still think you should be starting with Ubuntu... it will allow you to ease into things more gradually, and will almost certainly be less frustrating than the alternatives.

Fedora is OK as well... but tends to be a bit more buggy than other distros because they are very bleeding-edge.

Also... assuming you're using Ubuntu... install the package "ubuntu-restricted-extras" as soon as the system is set up. This automatically downloads and installs a lot of free but proprietary licensed stuff (flash plugin, Microsoft web fonts, etc...) that can't be included directly in the distribution CD image due to licensing restrictions.

Valhalla926 wrote:I tried using linux for over a year, until I realized I was trying to hard to get my computer to work. Consider buying an OS as buying convenience, same with buying a car or building a kit car. Sure, you could save money by building the kit car, but it'll rattle, the windows may stick, and the interior quality might be flimsy. But the Honda or Chevy will be worlds more comfortable. Up to you I suppose, but wrestling a computer into submission, and forcing it to obey at gunpoint isn't something I would make anyone deal with.

And I used Ubuntu, the everyman linux.

It does sound like the OP is just meaning to check it out, probably on a second machine.

But, as for your situation, what were you trying to do? For me, right out of the gate when I first started playing around (last December), things were confusing, but the computer always worked just fine. The hardest part was just getting used to new software - GIMP instead of Photoshop - and the fact that Autodesk programs aren't available for Linux and there are no comparable replacements.

In terms of setting up software - once you know what the name of the package is, on Ubuntu it is as easy as "apt-get install".

I'd say the toughest thing to mess with over the last 10 months has been Samba, just because it's a bottomless pit of options, and I don't have an infinite amount of time, or even more than an hour here and an hour there, to mess with it.

Coincidentally, I did a full Ubuntu install yesterday, and it took me about an hour to install:apache2php5vsftpdvirtualbox-oseGVim

and it only took an hour because I was doing other things and because I didn't have a list of "programs to install" next to me.

I guess the point I'm making is that the hardest thing for me is finding and configuring programs - but configuring programs can be a real challenge on Windows too FWIW.

I'm on Ubuntu 9.04. I've dabbled with a few other options but after using Ubuntu there has been little reason to try anything else. Ubuntu "just works" for the most part and the documentation is decent.

My first distro was Slackware. IMHO it's a good distro to start with as you are required to learn the basics as you go. Ubuntu is a great first distro for the non-geeky minded who don't care. I personally find distros like Slackware less convoluted and easier to learn than something like Ubuntu. Kind of like starting to learn programming with VB.NET in Visual Studio rather than a starting with QBasic. Once you learn the basics, you can then move on to more "featureful" distros if you feel so inclined. I currently am using Vector Linux for desktop use.

Using debian for my NAS/server. I attempted to then switch from VL to Mepis for desktop use, but it just didn't feel right.

Arch is also highly recommended for Desktop use, and to some extent server use. pacman works very well, but I wish I could interact with it in a way I'm more used to (apt-get).

I recommend you view Linux as a great tool in addition to the other OS options, and each distro as tool for any specific application of Linux. Just chose the distro that does the job for you for whatever Linux task. And often it's like the old adage, it's not the type of gun that counts but the guy using it. So in summary, I would start with Slackware (SW) and then keep trying distros. Trying the top 30 on distrowatch would be a good start when you are ready to tinker around, perhaps skipping the ubuntu offshoots until you tried the other 30. Edit: be sure to skip Gentoo, for the time being, as well.

i currently have fedora installed had a bit of trouble installing it at first but works fine but considering its file size it does not have that much extra however one thing that did come up was a warning saying that the hard drive i was using is failing but that is no problem as i am only using it for testing

i found the cpu frequency monitor shortly after i last replied and i am wondering if anyone knows if it also lowers the cpu voltage and the fact that it will only go as low as 1GHz suggests it will only reduce the cpu multiplier as low as to 5 how do i get it lower and i can not find any other to save my setting in it

thanks for a massive amount of new linux variants to test it will take me forever to get through them

as a person i do enjoy having a lot of control over what is going on in the operating system and very much dont like things going on without me knowing or wanting to disable them but cant, also i am a tad paranoid so i will be using a firewall

someone mentioned that it is important to log in as a user not root can someone clarify exactly whats the difference is within the system and how do i know what one i am using, i assume root is the equivalent of logging in a administrator in windows xp but am uncertain

brain frog wrote:someone mentioned that it is important to log in as a user not root can someone clarify exactly whats the difference is within the system and how do i know what one i am using, i assume root is the equivalent of logging in a administrator in windows xp but am uncertain

You know you are logged on as root if you type "root" as the user name when logging on. You will not be automatically logged on as root.

root has complete and total authority to execute any action on any file in the system, a.k.a. you can delete or more or change system files that should never be deleted or moved or changed.

It is kind of like "administrator" on Windows; the most important difference is that in the Unix world, it is treated with the proper level of respect.

Just a friendly tip: I'm not a grammar or punctuation nazi, but a period here and there goes a long way toward making text a lot easier on the eyes.

I am always open to constructive criticism i am aware that my grammar or punctuation is not amazing but its something I would like to improve. For some reason I just forget about it when typing.

*beats the person to death with a plastic haddock who mentioned slackware* I enjoyed that. After spending what feels like forever going through dos commands which is something from before my time I install it, work out how to log in, and discover more dos. Is slackware simply a more complex form of dos or is there a desktop hidden in it? I am far to stressed to spend another second looking through googled webpages trying to find out.

brain frog wrote:i currently have fedora installed had a bit of trouble installing it at first but works fine but considering its file size it does not have that much extra

It installs roughly the same set of stuff by default as other popular distros. The difference is that when you go to install additional packages, it will be able to pull them off the DVD instead of downloading them over the Internet from the distro's repository.

however one thing that did come up was a warning saying that the hard drive i was using is failing but that is no problem as i am only using it for testing

Well, just be aware that if things don't seem to be working properly (or are really slow), it may be the hard drive's fault, and not a problem with the software (or the way you've set it up).

i found the cpu frequency monitor shortly after i last replied and i am wondering if anyone knows if it also lowers the cpu voltage and the fact that it will only go as low as 1GHz suggests it will only reduce the cpu multiplier as low as to 5 how do i get it lower and i can not find any other to save my setting in it

It should lower the voltage as well. 5 may be the lowest multipler supported by your motherboard?

someone mentioned that it is important to log in as a user not root can someone clarify exactly whats the difference is within the system and how do i know what one i am using, i assume root is the equivalent of logging in a administrator in windows xp but am uncertain

Yes, the root account is the equivalent of the Windows Administrator account. Some distros (e.g. Ubuntu) use a slightly different security model, where the root account is disabled by default and the first user account created during system setup has the ability to elevate to root level privileges when needed by re-entering the login password (similar to Vista's UAC). The root account on Ubuntu (and other distros using this security model) can be enabled if desired by setting a password for the root account, and enabling administrator logins in the Login Window settings.

brain frog wrote:*beats the person to death with a plastic haddock who mentioned slackware* I enjoyed that. After spending what feels like forever going through dos commands which is something from before my time I install it, work out how to log in, and discover more dos. Is slackware simply a more complex form of dos or is there a desktop hidden in it? I am far to stressed to spend another second looking through googled webpages trying to find out.

Slackware is the oldest of the Linux distros that is still being actively maintained. Yes, most of the setup and configuration is done in text mode; it is probably the most "bare metal" of the current major distros.

brain frog wrote:*beats the person to death with a plastic haddock who mentioned slackware* I enjoyed that. After spending what feels like forever going through dos commands which is something from before my time I install it, work out how to log in, and discover more dos. Is slackware simply a more complex form of dos or is there a desktop hidden in it? I am far to stressed to spend another second looking through googled webpages trying to find out.

Sorry you are having a hard time. As I stated, I found it a great distro to learn the basics as you go, and as stated if you just don't care, dig it, or you are getting wasted by it (learning anything computer can do that), then there are plenty other options out there.

Perhaps I should have included a few links for you though.SW install guide and other stuff - had to blow some dust off this site. The install guide I used is here.http://www.slackbook.org/ - maybe a help for you. I just used the above install guide myself though.Official SW Forum. You can of course also post here at TR, but as I'm sure you may know each community has their own knack. Just start a thread and post each time you get stuck. Lots of guys out there to help out.

I had to reattempt installing Slackware several times myself before I was up and running. Before that the only command line experience I had was fdisk on the Windows98 boot floppy. Another thing sweet about going SW was I installed all the desktop environments and window managers offered. Was a great initial exposure to all the choices out there.

Hope this helps. Get some sleep, maybe drop it for a few days, and then hit it again hard. Having a basic knowledge of Linux is an incredibly useful tool in the techy's toolbox.

I eventually decided i think linux mint and ubuntu but i prefer the menu's in mint for now so i will be using it, i have found out quite a bit about it but i cant get any futher without getting online because of how it has been set up, i have downloaded my modem drivers for linux. This might not go well.

It is amazing how i have no real need for a firewall or virus scan, why cant microsoft pull this off.

At this point it would be great to know what you do when you first install linux. Do you uninstall some software for security if you are not using it? What software do you use? And do you know any linux secrets?

I have spent ages trying to work out how to install my modem drivers but no luck.

I have a sagem f@st 800-840 adsl modem, downloaded the linux drivers from the sagem site the file is called Fast8x0_3-0-6.tgz , i have found guides to installing things on linux but none that seem to work.

Some example's of what i have attempted is going to synaptic package manager, add downloaded package but it can see them but not select it or any files I have extracted from it. And generate package download script i can select the appropriate files but then nothing. I am unsure what i am doing wrong and finding a guide to this has not been easy.

flip-mode wrote:But, as for your situation, what were you trying to do? For me, right out of the gate when I first started playing around (last December), things were confusing, but the computer always worked just fine. The hardest part was just getting used to new software - GIMP instead of Photoshop - and the fact that Autodesk programs aren't available for Linux and there are no comparable replacements.

I was trying to do some basic computing. Can't get online? Wireless card isn't supported, buy another one. Printer not working? Buy another one. Want a resolution higher than 1024x768? Back to newegg.

I will admit, The video card is most certainly not linux' fault. ATI decided not to write drivers for the very last AGP cards they made (2600XT). I don't know if they ever did write a decent linux driver for that card, I just abandoned it entirely.

Between that, things randomly breaking, programs always trying so hard to play catch-up to the closed-source variants but always being two steps back and one to the left, and the elitist circlejerk community in some of the websites I tried to get help from ("You use mp3 format? Stupid noob." "Microslave!" "I won't use that software due to religious reasons.") I am not making any of those quotes up. They are all from various messageboards. I just couldn't put up with it anymore. I was trying too hard to get things to work. It wasn't cheaper for me to use linux at all, it cost too much time and effort.

brain frog, is your router/modem connected to your machine via USB? I don't know who your ISP is, but I always recommend using the router/modem as just the modem and then picking up a Linksys (or alternative) router.

As for post-install, just make sure you run the latest security updates, and you're good to go. Maybe pull down an app not included by default that you learn about from your other Linux tinkering. Yup, once you find the distro that clicks with you, a fresh install and a bit of teaking and being done in nothing flat totally spoils you when you have to build an WinOS image. While I tend to lean more toward more lean and mean distros, I enjoy installing others just to discover new apps I had never used or heard of before. The only time you would be concerned about unneeded apps being an unnecessary potential exploitation point would be a server environment, and in that case you wouldn't be using a "lots of included apps" distro to beginning with. For example, compare Ubuntu Server and Ubuntu (Desktop).

Valhalla926, why didn't you just use a software driver for a more appropriate resolution? As for the wireless or printer issue, well then unfortunately Linux doesn't appear to be a tool that will work with your specific setup. And just ignore the fanboys. Linux is just another tool, imho a great one, but not one without cons. Dude, you could get flame at some given forum for buying ATI in the first place, for example. Oh, and personally I archive my CDs in flac, and then encode to an appropriate mp3 quality for whatever device I want the content on.

Last edited by DrCR on Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

flip-mode wrote:But, as for your situation, what were you trying to do? For me, right out of the gate when I first started playing around (last December), things were confusing, but the computer always worked just fine. The hardest part was just getting used to new software - GIMP instead of Photoshop - and the fact that Autodesk programs aren't available for Linux and there are no comparable replacements.

I was trying to do some basic computing. Can't get online? Wireless card isn't supported, buy another one. Printer not working? Buy another one. Want a resolution higher than 1024x768? Back to newegg.

I will admit, The video card is most certainly not linux' fault. ATI decided not to write drivers for the very last AGP cards they made (2600XT). I don't know if they ever did write a decent linux driver for that card, I just abandoned it entirely.

Between that, things randomly breaking, programs always trying so hard to play catch-up to the closed-source variants but always being two steps back and one to the left, and the elitist circlejerk community in some of the websites I tried to get help from ("You use mp3 format? Stupid noob." "Microslave!" "I won't use that software due to religious reasons.") I am not making any of those quotes up. They are all from various messageboards. I just couldn't put up with it anymore. I was trying too hard to get things to work. It wasn't cheaper for me to use linux at all, it cost too much time and effort.

My most recent installation of Gentoo, everything has been a "it just works" experience. There haven't been any problems for me to solve. Actually, I now view that as a negative as there is nothing for me to do once I've finished reading the Internet. Also, those remarks you've seen I've never seen in the Gentoo community. In fact, I've been chode for trying to pull that elitist crap. And then there's us who like helping each other.

brain frog wrote:I have spent ages trying to work out how to install my modem drivers but no luck.

I have a sagem f@st 800-840 adsl modem, downloaded the linux drivers from the sagem site the file is called Fast8x0_3-0-6.tgz , i have found guides to installing things on linux but none that seem to work.

Some example's of what i have attempted is going to synaptic package manager, add downloaded package but it can see them but not select it or any files I have extracted from it. And generate package download script i can select the appropriate files but then nothing. I am unsure what i am doing wrong and finding a guide to this has not been easy.

Slackware was my first distro, waaay back when. Haven't touched it since, however. Ubuntu is possibly the best with installation for me at least. It's great fun to walk up to a random Dell machine, pop in the LiveCD and reboot it. Especially fun to do to the HR manager when he's out getting bagels.

The distro that I had the most fun poking and prodding the internals of was FreeBSD. I built an internal website using FreeBSD on a P2-400 and it's still running fine. It reboots when the power does.

I really dont like having to have help with this on every step of this. However i am totally new to any kind of linux and this is advanced stuff and most problems are solved by going online but that is my problem.

I have gotten to the point where i use ./configure and it tells me it cant find kernel headers, i can find no useful guide to getting them on my system wile offline.

This part of the operating seems a mess nothing seems to quite work with anything else, not even the patch that came with the modem works properly.

The modem plugs into my pc using a usb port and my internet provider is tiscili.

Must i be logged in as root to do this could this be part of my problem?

brain frog wrote:I really dont like having to have help with this on every step of this. However i am totally new to any kind of linux and this is advanced stuff and most problems are solved by going online but that is my problem.

I have gotten to the point where i use ./configure and it tells me it cant find kernel headers, i can find no useful guide to getting them on my system wile offline.

This part of the operating seems a mess nothing seems to quite work with anything else, not even the patch that came with the modem works properly.

The modem plugs into my pc using a usb port and my internet provider is tiscili.

Must i be logged in as root to do this could this be part of my problem?

Why must it be so complex to do something so basic?

Whenever you install software, you need to be root. That could be what is making things so complex. Furthermore, what are you trying to compile from source? If you're using Mint or some Ubuntu flavor, it's a pretty bad idea. Just use the repositories. Did you look at the thread that I posted for you to read regarding your modem? There isn't anything to compile given in the instructions there.

The best things in life are free.http://www.gentoo.orgGuy 1: Surely, you will fold with me.Guy 2: Alright, but don't call me Shirley.

Connecting to a network via USB just amazes me, and I'm not sure how it got started. Sounds like a problem right off, but apparently some have gotten it to work. You may just want to pick up a real router and go ahead and grab one with wireless capability. I personally don't trust the firewall of a ISP supplied modem/router anyway.

Something like this. A cheap gigabit switch like this is a Godsend if you are working with more modern machines having gigE and moving files around at all. Sounds like you only have one machine though.